Romance Short Stories

Darling, Pass the Knife

Chop. Chop. Chop. The knife slammed against the cutting board, getting just a bit louder with every strike. The cadence and the wet squelch that followed had Daniel picturing a…[...]

Six Human Genes

MRGreenJeans1 Video posted: 5 days ago.I know I might be wrong about this, but I’m pretty positive one of Owen’s pigs killed him. Also, that this pig is at large,…[...]

The Picture-Perfect Family

We held hands as my father said the prayers."Heavenly Father, we thank you for this food and for the ones who prepared it." He smiled warmly at my mother, who…[...]

SAINT OR SADDIEST

Michelle and Felicia love for each other is tested when a death in the family opens old wounds.Old wounds made by lack of communication and the unwillingness to take responsibility…[...]

Hold’em to Headstones

“A flush beats a straight,” Death rasped, waving a celebratory hand toward Juliet. The dark-haired teenager tipped her head in a firm nod, then cast her gaze away from Lucci,…[...]

As Above, So Below

It had been a month since Ellanova had passed. The church had been completely shattered. The same incense drifted through the air. Father Mattias’ voice still rang out. Yet, a…[...]

Root Rot

Washed in the tint of a rosy sunset, the Richardsons’ house sat. Its modesty didn’t detract from its charm, a wood cabin dressed like a sinner dragging out their dusty…[...]

Card Night

Contains body horror, ritual death, and gore God, the coffin again. Lindsay sighed as the simple pine box was wheeled back to make room. The others left early, but Julia…[...]

In This Next Sleep

[Content note: Depicts live burial and sensory deprivation.] “Hello?” I try to say, but the sound doesn’t escape my mind. It is dark. Or am I blind? I seem to…[...]

UnWoven

The reek of boiling Scaelith fat hung thick in the storm-whipped air, a greasy stench of slaughter that clung to the back of the throat. Elara knelt on the salt-burned…[...]

Zoochosis

The sight was grotesque — blood absorbing into the wood with an intense and metallic odor coating the air. His father’s heavy boots thudding against the ground as he walked…[...]

The Sea Demon

The Sea Demon The brine-soaked breeze caressed Raghav’s face, and he paused a moment, allowing his eyes to linger on the turquoise sea, its surface gleaming like a polished gem…[...]

Night of Borrowed Flesh

Thump, Thump, Thump. I'm awoken to the dank mustiness of Marlboro Reds dancing up my nose. My heart is thumping rapidly against my eardrum. My hands, their coated in the…[...]

The Thing that Walks Away

First I followed the footprints backwards, now I walk alongside them. I leave the car behind with my own trail of prints. I don’t trust myself to drive right now.…[...]

Cherry Bark and Almonds

Cherry bark and almonds.The scent overwhelmed me before I was even awake. I opened my eyes, the room still dark in the twilight hours of the morning. A faint light…[...]

Last Trip to the Pines

The soft patter of rain echoed throughout a secluded meadow in a Northern forest. Branches and leaves crunched as a lone figure emerged through the evergreen armada. A good deal…[...]

From: di.ejones@nethermore.pdTo: rita@marlowedetectiveagency.com Subject: Operation Bramble Case Files Hi Rita, As discussed in our previous meeting, Operation Bramble (Case Number: #09573294) is now considered a cold case. We appreciate your…[...]

A Hunger at Lethe End

I shuffle around the house in a daze and pause before a photo of Cassie and me. The slow pooling of dread shivers up my skin. She looks so utterly…[...]

The Metronome.

TRIGGER WARNING- this short story contains Violence, Language, and Nudity as well as Mature Themes. The Metronome. Introduction- The Metronome. There was not a seating arrangement. Everyone sat where they…[...]

THE ARCHITECTURE OF SILENCE A Masquerade in the Periphery of the Storm

THE ARCHITECTURE OF SILENCEA Masquerade in the Periphery of the StormThe air within the grand ballroom did not circulate; it stagnated, a viscous, heavy draft that tasted of rusted iron,…[...]

The Engulfed Cathedral

The Engulfed Cathedral I hover at twenty meters, here in the warm, sun-rippled depths. Puffs of silvered bubbles rise about me in a ragged column. Their sound is calming, synchronized…[...]

Ashes of Fruit

The sweet aroma of bubbling berries filled the air and it felt like home, but the chilling breeze of the forest reminded everyone where they were. “They say you can…[...]

Dear Diary

“Dear Diary” Where do I begin? This is all unknown to me, but I feel as if I need to tell someone, or something. Many people, even famous ones, have…[...]

Michael

Michael never cried when the earthquakes happened anymore. Instead, his body went paralyzed, still in time, similar to the demeanor of a doll.The first one took his hearing when he…[...]

Fur, Fangs, and Silence

This is our third burning. The rancid smoke of her burning flesh coils through the night air, assaulting my sensitive nostrils. Years in Hell should have hardened me to such…[...]

The Giggle Chamber

CW: Horror, mental health They say every tragedy begins with someone laughing. That’s how I open my statement. The detective gives me a look that lives somewhere between pity and…[...]

You’re Melting.

Trigger Warning: Suggestions of abuse, death and mental health. A whirl of snow chased Becca as she burst through the thick door. She slammed it with a backward kick and…[...]

The Ravens Who Watch

Ravens are curious creatures. They hunt for food as we do, they solve problems as we do, and they entertain themselves as we do. But some are unlike the others.…[...]

People Person

“Wait – Tony, Tony can you hear me?”I turn the volume on my phone all the way up, disconnecting the call from the Mercedes. No service out here in BFE…[...]

Samantha Strolls in Silver Fields

A demigod of rock thrust his guitar pick down in one final stroke, and the Stratocaster screamed under the arena’s flashing strobes, a thunderous roll of drums finishing behind him.…[...]

The Milk Upstream — Hannah’s Diary

My hands were shaking worse than usual the day Todd Schultz first noticed me. Not from nerves, but from the milk. Twenty years of living downstream could do that to…[...]

The Death of Kuvé Hwanuk

Accustomed as we are to cell phones, CNN, video games, it is difficult for us to conceive that, in one of the most remote regions, in the 18th century, José…[...]

Keeping hope alive

The lights turned red the instant she reached the crossroads. Instead of trying to beat the red light this time, Leila sighed and braked abruptly. She couldn’t afford any more…[...]

The Blackberry Do-Over

The Blackberry Do Over Sixta the gardener came today. She is Quechua but doesn’t wear the native clothing that many still do here in the Sacred Valley of Peru. The…[...]

Souls in the Sky

Zack Kaudjak was crossing the open snow laced fields of the Yukon River with his fourteen dog Iditarod sled team as the sun began to set below the birch tree…[...]

He Promised His Grandfather

He Promised his Grandfather Eighteen-year old Fred promised his grandfather that he would do this. The promise he made was to keep the fire going all night, from roughly eight…[...]

the Unusual Vase

The Unusual VaseMatt awoke with a start to the banging on the door of his Airstream. He never had visitors at 6:00 in the morning. Heck—he never had visitors and that was…[...]

Just Deserts

It is impossible to resist a hitchhiker on a road to nowhere. And that was exactly what my cousin Shane’s wedding to Raven the following morning was going to be.It…[...]

Endless Road to Preserve the Land

I am putting myself back in the selfie that I took on the last turbulent day I was at Serenity lodge in Guyanese wilderness. it used to be my refuge…[...]

Art in all its crazy forms

Art in all its crazy forms I had a very unusual up-bring. Let me explain. I was born to parents that were well known portrait painters. In fact to be…[...]

Awakening Of Nagualon

The wind whistled the greetings of the morning to the boy. His eardrums throbbed gleefully at the song of the breeze mixing with the chatter of the birds. His toes…[...]

The Great Hot White

CW: Brief descriptions of violenceThe harsh winter wind had deepened in severity, the gushes feeling colder, and gaining force, each blow by feeling like a scorned slap against the boys…[...]

A tragedy as beautiful as it was terrible

The tranquil lab was violently disrupted by the piercing ring of my phone. I quickly snatched it, knowing who was texting, my heart hammering. A digital drum roll building up…[...]

Everything In Heaven Is Already Here on Earth

Nora walked home through the snow with the ingredients she had bought to make her daughter a thick brown stew, as she always did around this time of year. She passed…[...]

RETURN TO COUNTRY

‘Bring him to me,’ said Kurdaitcha, their executioner, I … ‘Yes,’ said Papinijuwari. ‘Then I will feed on his dead body.’ The spirit group were affronted and convened a meeting. They…[...]

Race to Rebel Creek

A horse was essential out here simply because how d***ed far everything was from everything else. Lieutenant Nathaniel James Beaty kicked up his horse to a brief trot to catch…[...]

Red Feather Flight

Red Feather Flight By Marc Stutzel Eagle Tehan is mindfully sensing the afternoon's northern breezes as the tranquil young man sits upright, yet relaxed, with lids gently closed. His legs…[...]

Spider and Moth

Trgger warning: this story contains references to war and the trauma of war.Made up of the thinnest of protein fiber threads, the spider’s web prompts a cautious reflection about how…[...]

museum of you

Museum of you Well that’s not very funny, it was just a stupid pun, what other funny moments are here okayyy just mostly an empty long hallway, what what’s that.…[...]

Howl for Home

They circled each other, the ancient ritual of the eijak, teeth bared, hackles raised. The snow was soft, but not fresh. Each member of the pack watched in agony. A…[...]

Karina’s Cave

February 10 We’ve arrived! After a long hot day in the double cab pickup, Jack driving, Alex in the front, Amara, Jaime and I in the back, we’re “home.” Our site…[...]

Paradise Lost

He came for her in the early hours of the morning. Samsam Bujang parked his brand new ‘98 Range Rover Discovery on the border of the montane forest in the…[...]

The Wind in the Willows

The island could be lonely at times, but with Grandmother Mimi there and her stories, whispers, and touch, I could never ever be alone. My sisters and I fell in…[...]

The Explorer

THE EXPLORER This story has sensitive topics such as death, language, and sexual violence. Discretion is advised. In the year of our lord, Anno Domini, May 20th, 1506. This might be…[...]

Devil’s Lake

The call came in just after 11 p.m.; Grandpa wouldn’t make it through the night. The brothers took the news like a hammer blow to the chest; they grabbed their…[...]

The Weight of Wealth.

Money is the root of all evil. At least that’s what my pop always told me growing up. “For outlaws there ain’t nothin’ more important than money. Everything they do:…[...]

The Lady in Blue

She woke up, letting out shaky breaths and clutching the sheets. As she wiped off the sweat from her forehead, she felt her legs bare and stared at the linen…[...]

The Fire Within

People often say that anger is a destructive force, a wildfire that burns everything in its path, leaving behind only ashes and regret. But what if anger could be transformed…[...]

His Life

I think we were always competitive until the day when we weren’t anymore. It was always chalked up to two cousins seeing who could get the best of the other, but…[...]

I AM

When I was in my late forties, the men I’d known since childhood began dying – one by one I lost all three of my uncles in a year and…[...]

The Hottest Day

Ossie (a short form for his actual name) asks a question of his brother Mac (also a short form for his name): “Did you hear the weather report last night…[...]

The Shadow of Valour

The wind blew through the city streets, and a sign announced to Hector Mares’s hologram that he was nearing a crossroads. There were gaps in the traffic but soon enough…[...]

The Signature Tree

James was working his mill in the early morning chill, set up in a clearing cradled in the crook of two intersecting ridges. Millenia of colluvial deposits formed this broad,…[...]

A Celebration of Park Preservation

And here we are, people...A young African American Male of 25 years old - who was intrigued and inspired by the historical rezoning of the city Paterson Great Falls by…[...]

They Have Each Other

Staring into the mirror, my only thought was, girl you look so damn good today. My wedding dress, yellow to signify the transition from childhood to adulthood, flowed down around…[...]

A Family Connection

Marie sat on a plane. It wasn’t the first time she’d been on the long journey across the country. She traveled from Washington State to North Carolina four times a…[...]

Haven

My characters suck and are so damn boring | I throw my fingers into the roots of my hair and pull. Hard. The palm of my right hand throbs from…[...]

Sagonige and the End

Sagonige and the End “Again, I have failed. They won’t listen to me and the FBI has a warrant out for me that I’m a terrorist and the Homelands Cops intend…[...]

The Son of the Rain – A Story Based on a Wichí Mataco Myth” –

The Son of the Rain - A Story Based on a Wichí Mataco Myth" - It was Yachup, the time of fruits and festivities for the indigenous peoples of the forests…[...]

The S-Bend

NORTH TO THE S-BEND 'Hang on. Not right now,” the father said, as the S-Bend neared. The quiet white lines and glinting reflective pickets splayed wider apart. Dead ahead, no…[...]

The message from my inner child

I woke up agitated. My heart was pounding fast. The image from the dream stayed intact, refusing to fade away. A barefoot girl stood in the middle of a completely…[...]

The Guardian Object

One night in July, 2051, Lima, Peru, lay beneath a mist. The streets were empty, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth. In a quiet neighborhood, Dr. Carlos…[...]

The Man in the Maze

One of the most powerful symbols to the Piipash (Maricopa) and O’Odham (Pima) tribes of Arizona is the motif of “the man in the maze” The motif can best be described…[...]

The Magic Feathers of the Caburé

Tajñí Lelé is a forest elf from the world of the Wichi-Mataco indigenous people, the most well-known and powerful, famous for his magical powers. He was called “Cabeza de Sajasta”…[...]

Ashes of Vengeance

Deep in the heart of the Chaco forest, in that inhospitable region in the north of the province of Salta, Argentina, populated by indigenous peoples of various ethnicities, where the…[...]

Mzungu Dreams

Mzungu Dreams The gentle wind whistling through the savannah grass was punctuated only by the grunting of rutting impala. Young bucks fought over who got to lead the small harem…[...]

The Night Predator’s Guide to Fine Dining

The Night Predator's Guide to Fine Dining Jackson, Wyoming is a great place to be a werewolf. My name is Giles Garnier, born in 1343 in the Burgandy region of…[...]

My True Self

My true self will be shaped by what I leave behind with my lingering shadows. The echoes of my actions in the silence of the night.I often ponder how we…[...]

Erase the Past

Jose Manganes, associate professor at Lima University on social anthropology, spoke to an attentive class of undergraduates,‘Good afternoon, everyone! Today, I want to pose a question that may seem bold,…[...]

Shhh

Shhh A chill wind slaps her hair into her face. The strands are offensively straight, chopped off with the snip of the scissors. Shhh, the sound of it still echoes.…[...]

From Being Horrible in French to an Expert in Wendat: The long and Winding Road of Becoming a Linguist

I never did well in French in elementary or high school. I was no doubt a source of amusement to my fellow students when I had to say something in French…[...]

From Andes to Amazon, How I Met Gil

Yawar, our leader and guide, was undeniably drunk. The farewell party for the volunteer team we had traveled through the Andes with, ended on a sour note. Yawar had capitalized…[...]

No Rest for the Wicked

And there she goes again, driving down the street in her matte black Jeep, returning from who knows where. The sleek, modern vehicle stood in stark contrast to the haunting…[...]

Oh my…Goodness or Mercy?

Grace has been the most difficult tool to grasp. The voices have only ever had one protector. The extension of a healing is so; Just be patient before participating too…[...]

A shameful death

A shameful death We lived in a large house with a big garden next to the vicarage.The house was situated in a charming village in the south of England. My…[...]

Eye of the Horse

Warning: This story contains a graphic highway death under questionable circumstances “Oh my god!!” shrieked the women sitting in the airport van third and fourth row bench seats as the…[...]

DEMANDS THAT MAKE THE HEART GROW COLDER

My home is in Northwest Russia. The White Sea is to the west stretching out to the base of Taymr Peninsula which is on the east side and the Sayan…[...]

Thirsty Land

Namaqualand cracks open.This drought is the worst in ten years in the Great Karoo, South Africa.Eugene du Toit presses against the dry wind, his eyes narrowing towards the blue sky.…[...]

A Surplus of Piano Players

“Nakata!”BAM BAM BAM. The redheaded girl checked her knuckles for damage, changed to the heel of her fist. “Tony!" BAM BAM. "It’s JoJo, from Ridge Runners. Open the goddam door,…[...]

Desperate measures

Desperate measures Hi, Joe it’s Richard. Can I call you on your secured line? I want to discuss something with you. Sure, just give me ten minutes. Richard, go ahead.…[...]

The Shining Light of “One Who Knows” – World Voyages of the Destiny’s Dreams

"Even the ocean murmurs to the woman named One Who Knows," the ancient villagers said. "She shares our joys and sorrows. She senses the depths in our hearts.""Everything in nature…[...]

Not Who I Thought You Were

“Kanoe? Are you ready? Got your costume?”“Yeah. Just a minute.”“We have to go. Your kumu just called and wants to know where you are.”“Okay. I'm ready., and thanks for calling…[...]

Night of dominó, pulque & tricks

The waitresses went from table to table carrying mugs full of pulque and trays of green and red picaditas, dodging their way among the people who were dancing to the…[...]

Rona

She had flame-red hair and worked as an electrician. It seemed strange that she should choose to work with electricity and currents but when you got to know her you…[...]

A whisper in the wind

It was her eyes that caught me first—deep brown with flakes of gold that shimmered like sunstones. When the light hit them just right, they sparkled with an etherealness that…[...]

Dance of White Swan

It was spring, but the mornings were still cold, and her breath escaped her lips in soft, white puffs in the pre-dawn glow. She left behind her a cluster of…[...]

The Slowest Train

I was not exactly sure why I found myself in Oaxaca City. It was not a planned visit I had just gone to a bus station and the name stood…[...]

The Long Walk to Freedom – Written By Rahaf Saadeh

The sun descends from the sky, hidden behind the hills and shallow valleys. My mind drifts to a wonderful world of my own where my worries are distant and faint.…[...]

Error 970: Word not found

I stood at the edge of the square, the air heavy with a blend of smoke, metal remnants, and a faint trace of decay. I counted the bags; a ritual…[...]

Conditions Go

It was mid Spring in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Sunlight twinkled and showed the Evergreens' greenery, flashing off the still water lake, a warm reflection of trees.…[...]